The present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly, to footwear having a waterproof vapor-permeable sole to cool a wearer's foot during use while maintaining a waterproof shoe.
Footwear must be ventilated to remove heat and perspiration. Feet generate heat during activities such as running and aerobic exercise. As with other parts of the body, the feet sweat when they become overheated. When people wear footwear, the heat and perspiration are unable to escape freely, causing the feet to remain hot and damp. This condition can cause the wearer some discomfort and if not reduced or eliminated can lead to other problems including blistering and athletes foot. Thus, there is a need to ventilate footwear to remove heat and perspiration. One problem with ventilating footwear, however, is maintaining waterproof footwear so water outside the footwear, such as from puddles, does not enter the footwear thereby increasing rather than decreasing dampness. Accordingly, there is a need to remove heat and dampness from footwear without permitting liquid to enter the footwear.